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Preventing Excessive Weight Gain When Quitting Smoking
Quitting smoking is not just a passing fad in today’s world. Not unless you want to spend your breaks standing in the weather. Quitting now greatly decreases your chances of developing some form of cancer or lung disease. Breaking the habit does have its possibly negative side effects however and understanding the risks makes the transition much easier.
One of those side effects is increased, excessive weight gain. In most cases the gain is minimal and melts away with increased exercise and better diet. Gaining 5 to 10 pounds is normal as long as your eating habits do not change from when you were a smoker. In a significant amount of cases, however, the weight gain can be quite noticeable and constitute an increased risk to your health. Smoking a cigarette increases your heart rate about 20 beats per minute, putting extra stress on the heart, leading to heart disease.
Heart disease is one of the main leading causes of death among smokers. Ninety pounds of extra weight put the same amount of stress on your heart as smoking one pack of cigarettes per day. Cigarettes are also an appetite suppressant so the affect when you stop on your appetite is similar to releasing the brake from a car. Nicotine causes the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of happiness and satisfaction. Taking that stimulation away can be a shock to our metabolism that we sometimes fill with food.
We do have other options. Some of the best are listed here. Remember that even the best advice works only if it is followed.
- Stop snacking. There are two main reasons people over eat, physical and psychological. When a person inhales a cigarette adrenalin is released into the bloodstream and the production of insulin is inhibited. These two reactions cause the body to overreact but simulating euphoria and inhibiting appetite. When the person quits both of those chemicals come back into balance, causing depression (missing the adrenalin), and regulating blood sugar increasing appetite. The psychological drives to smoke that are replaced by eating habits are things as simple as the hand to mouth reflex, the fact that food tastes better and nicotine withdrawal is very uncomfortable.
- Exercise. Start slow if it has been awhile since you have worked out. Exercise has is good for calorie cutting and has the added benefit of releasing endorphins which simulate good feelings.
- Limit alcohol. It is loaded with empty calories.
- Drink lots of water. Water is an excellent craving suppressor and flushes the toxins from the body.
Excessive weight gain can be avoided when people quit smoking. It does take work though. The payoff is simple-clear lungs, a good heart and longer life.
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Fibromyalgia: How to Recognize the Symptoms and Help your Doctor
Assist your doctor diagnose this mystery disorder. Some possible causes and symptoms have been discussed here.
Fibromyalgia is a little understood condition that, because of the similarity of symptoms with other disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, is often misdiagnosed. Assisting your medical providers with a list of your symptoms, levels and locations of your pain and other information will greatly expedite your treatment. Along with its similarity with other disorders there are a number of co-existing conditions that usually thrive side by side and aggravate an already high level of discomfort. Women are 10 times more likely than men to have this disorder. It is especially important for them to get the facts. Researchers are not exactly sure what the cause of this condition is. Some of the some of the main culprits for fibromyalgia may be:
- Abnormalities in the endocrine and autonomic nervous systems, both of which release hormones under stress.
- Physical and/or emotional trauma.
- Genetics; check your family medical history for anyone with similar problems.
- Bacterial or viral infections like HCV or HIV are both likely candidates.
- Muscle tissue abnormalities, whether structural, metabolic or functional.
- Abnormal blood flow.
Symptoms are as follows:
- Localized pain at one or more of the tender points on the body. Tender points are not to be confused with trigger points which can lead to a misdiagnosis of Chronic Myofacial Pain. Make your provider aware that the pain, while localized, is body wide. If at least 11 of the 18 tender points are affected the diagnosis is usually fibromyalgia.
- Widespread pain cannot be confused with tender points. This pain usually manifests as shooting, burning or aching pain and the muscles can easily throb and twitch. The worst pain is usually in the morning and can be aggravated by either too little or too much sleep, cold or humid weather, or anxiety. One of the reasons it is usually grouped with or mistaken for arthritis is that the pain is so intense it limits Range of Motion.
- Fatigue felt in a crippling intense form. If you feel just as fatigued when you wake in the morning as you did when you went to bed, this is a symptom. Often mistaken for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
- Problems sleeping. Bursts of brain activity in deep sleep aggravate other problems due to lack of restful sleep.
- Other symptoms include: Anxiety/depression, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, pain during and after exercise, painful menstrual cycle, sensitivity to touch, light or sound and stiffness.
Though researchers have not determined any precise correlation between fibromyalgia and certain co-existing conditions like Reynaud’s Syndrome, Irritable Bowl Syndrome, migraines, and Restless Leg Syndrome but know they are connected.
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The Best Ways to Recognize and Avoid Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome has become a major problem in today’s world. Finding ways to cope with the problem can keep you working and pain free.How much time does each of us, in today’s digital world spend at the keyboard? What are the chances of developing carpal tunnel syndrome? If we work on a computer extensively, are we all going to end up wearing those ugly braces on our wrists?
Probably not!
There really is not much clinical evidence to support the theory that repetitive and or forceful hand and wrist movements at work and play can cause this disorder. Repetitive actions, preformed during the normal work day or other activities can cause problems, like bursitis and tendonitis but they are not carpal tunnel syndrome. Neither is writer’s cramp-the condition in which the lack of fine motor skill coordination and ache and pressure in the fingers, wrist and forearms brought on by too much repetitive activity.
Sometimes the exact cause of a specific case of this disorder cannot be pinned down. Usually it is the result of a combination of factors that increase pressure on the median nerve and the tendons traveling through the carpal tunnel. Most likely the disorder was caused by a congenital predisposition, i.e. your carpal tunnel is too small to accommodate. Others include trauma and injury that cause swelling, an over active pituitary gland, hyperthyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis. Work stress, repeated use of vibrating hand tools, fluid retention, or mechanical problems in the wrist joint. In many cases the exact cause cannot be identified.
Women are three times more likely to develop this disorder than are men, possibly due to their usually smaller carpal tunnel. Workers in manufacturing and assemblers are much more likely to have this problem than data entry workers. There are ways to lessen the chances of developing this condition. While at work, perform stretching exercises, rest as often as possible, wear braces to keep the wrist straight and wear fingerless gloves. Carpal tunnel syndrome is preventable in most cases.
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The Best Ways to Protect Your Children from Athletic Injuries
How to keep your children safe on the athletic field and prevent athletic injuries.
Protecting our children on the athletic field should be a number one priority. Athletic injuries are common among children and most of these injuries were preventable. Simple things like maintaining fields and equipment and checking the kids for minor injuries before they play can prevent major injuries from happening. Taking the following steps before allowing your children to compete will help keep them competing far into the future.
- Always check playing fields for hazards. Poorly maintained playing surfaces, holes, rocks, bad lighting all are potential injury magnets. Do thorough walks around before the kids take the field.
- Make sure that each child is in good enough physical condition to compete at the level they are involved in. Poor conditioning is a leading cause of sprains and tears and can lead to heart problems and other more serious accidents.
- Check all the participants for injuries or excess fatigue before, during (often) and after each event. Young people will often ignore fatigue or injuries to they will not appear weak in front of their friends.
- Keep snacks and drinks on hand. Poor nutrition is a major cause of sports injury.
- NFL players may play well in a snowstorm but its not they place for your child. Wet, icy playing surfaces are not a place for adolescents.
- Make sure there is adequate supervision.
- Choose teams by age rather than size. Just because a child is physically ready to compete at a higher level does not mean they are ready to mentally compete. Younger children take more chances because they have less experience.
- And finally, stress. Winning is nice but it should never be the most important thing. Pressuring kids to win above all else is a sure way to get them hurt.
Just a few precautions can save a child from a serious athletic injury. Take the time to do it right and your children can have safe fun.
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3 Ways to Avoid Back Injury
The human back is composed of three groups of components, each group containing various structures that can be easily injured under the right conditions. These groups are: The bones and joints of the spine; the discs that separate the vertebrate and absorb shocks; and the muscles and ligaments that hold the back together. Each of these structures can be injured in many ways. Back injuries can range from minor and irritating to severe and crippling. Sustaining a minor injury and trying to ‘work around it’ usually escalates the severity of the problem.
So how can you protect yourself from minor back injury that may worsen or severe injuries that may cripple? The following list is only a few of the precautions that you can take but they will protect to some extent.
1. Watch Your Weight: Excessive weight puts strain on everything from the boney structures down through the discs and muscles. Like the problems excessive body weight causes to the cardiovascular system, the structures of your back were designed to support a certain range of body mass. Exceed that range and you test your body past the limits it was designed for.
2. Practice Good Body Mechanics And Posture: Sitting with good back support, especially if you sit for long periods, takes strain off. Good lifting, using the legs, not the back. Adjusting your car seat to optimal distance. Sleeping in positions that support the back. All of these precautions serve to keep the back healthy.
3. Exercise: Flexion, extension and stretching exercises keep your back from getting tight, which can lead to injuries. Strengthening exercises serve to both build the strength of the muscles and joints but added muscle bulk serves as a shock absorber.
Remember that even a minor back injury, if not properly cared for, can escalate into something far more severe. Taking unnecessary chances and injuring your back severely can lead to a lifetime of debilitating pain. Take care of your back and your back will support you throughout your life.
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Common Athletic Injuries and Treatment
Athletic injuries can be defined as a condition that damages to any part of the body that is mainly caused due to accidents that can occur while playing a particular sport. Such sport injuries can be classified into two basic categories. First is primary injury that is nothing but fresh injury happened during a play and second being secondary injury which arises from any early injury which was not treated properly or completely cured. There are many types of injuries that may result out of sports. This is the reason most sportsmen have a physiotherapist taking care of their fitness. It is important for every sportsman to consult physician or physiotherapists in order to stay fit for a long time.
One of the most common injuries faced by sportsmen is the knee injury. A player can encounter knee injuries due to excess pressure on the knee or any accident. Other injuries include back injury, ankle injury, arm injury etc. These problems can be treated in many different ways. Some people adopt yoga to treat such injuries but it takes a very long time to treat sport injuries using such techniques. The most common way of treating athletic injuries include dressing up the wound and making use of relieving pain medications that can include pain balms or oral medicines.
However, when injures are not dealt with proper care, the condition may worsen and the only solution that would seem feasible would be to surgically operate it. There are many famous sportspersons who undergone surgeries to get their athletic injuries healed. These surgeries may cost you a lot of money and the amount of expenditure mainly depends upon the condition of the injury.
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Reasons for Arm and Shoulder Pain
Arm and shoulder pain is something that can really hinder the flow of your work. Most people complain about such body ache impede their job performance; hence, overcoming such issues is necessary to not only keep yourself fit but also to take care of your profession flawlessly. It is important not to neglect any such pain which may lead to severe and unfortunate consequences. For example, left arm shoulder pain may in some cases, relate to heart problems. When you face any kind of pain in the shoulder or arm, it is suggested not to take it lightly but consider consulting a doctor. As there are chances that the pain may lead to heart related problems such as angina, heart attacks etc.
There may be various reasons that may lead to arm and shoulder pain. For example, a person constantly executing heavy work may face such body ache. Such body ache can be relieved by consuming pain killers and applying pain reliever balms. However, before consuming any medicine it is always advisable to visit a physician, as it would help you considerably.
Due to improper sleeping positions many people face shoulder and arm related issues, most often in the form of pain. Sleeping in the same position for a very long time may also lead to such conditions. Therefore, one should take proper measures to avoid such problems and take care of sleeping positions.
Other reasons may include accidental injuries, gradually growing disorders and severe diseases such as shoulder dislocation, tendonitis, fracture, arthritis and other bone related problems. However, under all such circumstances, it is important to see a physician during the initial stage of the pain and get it cured rather than ignoring it and ending up with undesirable health complications.
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Spinal Discs Problems
If your back is in perfect condition, you will have no problems in the range of motion. Standing up, sitting, bending, twisting, etc can be done easily. However, if you are suffering from spinal disc problems, all your physical abilities will be hampered greatly which will only make you experience pain in doing any kind of activity.
The backbone or the spine of the human body consists of 26 bones known as vertebrae. In between every pair of vertebrae lies an intervetebral disc that is flat, round and very soft in nature. It not only helps in keeping the vertebrae in proper position but also provides the much needed cushion by working as shock absorbers. Hence, it gives you the ability to twist, bend and do whatever you want!
You can imagine how severely spinal disc problem can hamper the mobility of any individual who is suffering from this problem. Here are four types of spinal discs problems:
Degenerative Disk Disease
If the spinal discs degenerate, it can lead to spinal disc problems. The intervertebral discs will lose its softness and decrease in size resulting in fewer cushions to your spine and thereby limiting the mobility and the flexibility of the muscles.
Arthritis
Arthritis can take place in the area that lies between the vertebrae of your spine. Rubbing of the vertebra takes place leading to bone spurs and painful moments and thereby restricting your movements.
Cervical Herniated Disc
When the spinal discs ruptures, the intervertebral discs may protrude out of its place leading a condition called herniated disc. If you are suffering from cervical herniated disc, you will experience pains in the neck that will spread to various parts of the body such as your shoulders and arms.
Lumbar Herniated Disc
Lumbar herniated disc is a condition similar to cervical herniated disc. However, the pain is not felt in the upper part of the body but in the lower parts such as lower back, buttocks and legs. If the condition becomes severe, you may not have control over your legs and bowels.
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Nerve Problems: Lethal Disease – Neuropathy
Neuropathy
Diabetes is a disease that can lead to plenty of other serious conditions. One of the major problems that a diabetic person may suffer from includes neuropathy. If a diabetic person does not take care of himself and is not able to control diabetes, there can be severe damage to the nerves and result in the condition called neuropathy. It is a known fact that half the numbers of people who suffer from diabetes have some kind of problems related to the nerves.
Many diabetics who are unaware of neuropathy ignore the signs of neuropathy and become a victim of it by greatly damaging their nervous system. It is mostly seen in diabetics who do not care much about the level of glucose in their blood. A person who is suffering from diabetes from a long time may get diabetic neuropathy. Neuropathy may lead recurrent infections and ulcerous conditions in the foot which can also lead to amputations. You can prevent and take control of it by following a proper diabetic lifestyle.
How to Prevent Neuropathy
The part of the nerve which connects to the other nerves and muscles that are present in the body is called axon. When the level of glucose rises in the blood, degeneration of the axon takes place. Neuropathy can happen to a person with diabetes type I or diabetes or II can. The best way to stay away from neuropathy is to take charge of the situation and control your blood glucose level.
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Facet Joint Pain: The Cause of Back and Neck Problems
One of the most common forms of pain that people experience includes back and neck problems. There can be plenty of reasons that can cause such unavoidable pains. Have you heard about Facet Joint Pain? It is one of the main causes of back and neck pains.
What is Facet Joint?
This joint is also known as Zygapophysial joint and Facet Joint Syndrome. The Wikipedia describes it as ‘a synovial joint between the superior articular process of one vertebra and the inferior articular process of the vertebra directly above it.’ If this joint is closed or partially open or is in a stuck state, it may cause dysfunction. When this happens, the surrounding muscles lose their flexibility and become tight which results in Facet Joint Pain.
What can cause Facet Joint Pain?
General wear and tear, injury, bad posture, deterioration of cartilages, improper spinal curvature, related vertebral discs, too much of arching in the lower area of the back, etc are some of the main causes of Facet Joint Pain.
Symptoms of Lower Back Facet Syndrome and Neck-Cervical Facet Syndrome
Lower Back Facet Joint Pain:
- severe pain in the lower back
- pain while bending or twisting
- movement of pain to the buttocks or towards the backside of the thighs
- difficulty in performing any activity
- pain during sitting down or getting up from the chair
- pain during standing up
Neck-Cervical Facet Syndrome:
- unbearable pain in the neck
- headaches
- shoulder pain
- not able to bend
- not able to rotate the head
How to Get Rid of Facet Joint Pain?
Strengthening and stretching exercises are the best solution to reducing facet joint pain. You can also approach a physiotherapist to get the best treatment.